Kolkata (West Bengal): In another jolt to the INDIA bloc, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) is preparing to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in three states besides West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress has long lost the title of an All India party. However, the ruling party of West Bengal may contest in several states outside West Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to TMC sources, besides contesting in 42 seats of West Bengal, TMC is preparing to contest in Meghalaya, Assam and Uttar Pradesh as well.
In Assam, the Congress is in disarray as one after another Congress leaders and MLAs are joining the ruling BJP. As a result, Congress is becoming increasingly weak in Assam. In this case, Trinamool Congress wants to pounce on the opportunity.
TMC is likely to field candidates in two of the 14 seats of Assam in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In this regard, TMC Rajya Sabha candidate Sushmita Dev said, "We are ready to fight the Lok Sabha elections. We have already communicated the decision to party leader Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. We will not leave an inch of ground in the fight against the BJP."
At the same time, TMC is claiming itself as the main opposition force in Meghalaya. Trinamool sources reveal that they want to use all their strength in the Lok Sabha elections in Meghalaya. Apart from these two states, Mamata Banerjee's party may field candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in one more state. Recently, it was revealed that the Samajwadi Party, one of the allies of the 'INDIA' alliance, may give up a seat to the Trinamool Congress in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In this case, Rajesh Tripathi, the grandson of the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kamalapati Tripathi, is likely to be a candidate for TMC in Uttar Pradesh.
As far as it is known, although Mamata Banerjee's Punjab visit has been postponed for the time being due to the farmers' agitation, Mamata Banerjee may visit there before the Lok Sabha elections. Sources say that she can even hold an important meeting with the regional parties of Punjab.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee's district tour will continue. After Birbhum, Mamata Banerjee's next destinations will be Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram. In the recent past, she had postponed visits to the three districts due to higher secondary examinations.
